This invention comprises a device for destroying used tickets or similar items.
Paper tickets are commonly used in movie theatres, arcades, hotels, airports, and other facilities. Tickets must often be redeemed at a specified price for a given number of tickets. Thus, it is necessary to count the tickets presented, and then to destroy them, so that they cannot be improperly re-used.
One common method of destroying used tickets is to tear them by hand. This method works with individual tickets, but is extremely tedious and impractical for destroying large numbers of long strips. Also, the residue of the torn tickets is bulky, and requires considerable storage space.
It has also been known to use hand-operated cutting devices. Such devices are also impractical for use with large numbers of tickets, and also suffer from the disadvantage that they leave a bulky residue.
Various automated devices have been proposed to destroy used tickets. One such mechanized device cuts a strip of tickets longitudinally in half. The latter device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,093, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Using this device is much faster than cutting tickets by hand, but the device has the disadvantage that the strip is not rendered completely useless. Unscrupulous persons can attach the severed longitudinal halves of the strip to form a complete strip which could be used again.
Various paper cutters have been commercially available, and they vary greatly from one to another. Some cut longitudinally on large sheets of paper, while others cut transversely on large and heavy paper. All need sufficient power to operate, depending on the thickness of the paper being cut.
The cutting performance of smaller cutters depends on the size of the motor used in the cutter, and on the amount of shear used in making the cut. The amount of shear affects the load on the motor, which thus affects the size of motor required. Since tickets vary greatly in paper quality and coatings, a device for destroying used tickets should be capable of operating through a wide range of ticket types.
The present invention solves the problems described above, by providing a mechanized apparatus which renders strips of tickets completely useless, and which results in a relatively compact residue. The present invention also has the advantage that the cutter needs no separate drive mechanism, apart from the means for advancing the tickets through the device. Also, the device includes a modular cutter which can be quickly removed and replaced, without using any tools.